Fear of the unknown
by Skovko
Summary: Claire is married to Kevin. Roman is Kevin's friend and he scares her. For a while she's noticed he follows her around when she goes out without ever making his presence known though and one night she snaps and confronts him since she's certain he's sent there by Kevin to report back on what she does. That couldn't be further from the truth though.
1. Creeping up

She knew he was there before she even turned her head to look at him. She could always feel his eyes bore their way into her from behind. She hated the mere sight of him even though she hardly knew him.

He had walked into her life six months earlier. Well, into her husband's life to be exact. Somehow they had become friends. She had no idea how they met and she really didn't care. The guy was a gorilla sized man, dark and scary to look at. In the end that's what it came down to. He scared the shit out of her. He hardly ever said a word when she was near but she could always feel him watching her. And she hated the fact that he was god damn attractive to look at as well, no matter how scary he was.

She would go out on her own most weekends when her husband wasn't home. It was the only way she could find some sort of relief in her sad existense. She didn't know when he had started showing up, just watching her from a dark corner, but one day she had suddenly noticed him sitting there, and from there on she noticed him being at the same bars as her too often for it to be a coincidence.

She never called him out on it or even let him know that she knew he was there. She would always keep her back on him, pretending not to see him, but she could feel that burning look all night long. No doubt in her mind he was sent there to watch her by her husband.

She threw back the last of her drink, put the empty glass down on the counter and headed for the door. She felt his gaze as she walked closer to the door. What came over her that night, she didn't know, but she had had it with him and suddenly she found herself standing in front of his table staring down at him. His eyes were wide as if he had never expected being caught by her.

"Why the fuck are you always following me around like this, Roman? You can go tell him I don't cheat on him so you don't have to be his little watchdog anymore," she said angrily.  
"Is that what you think I'm doing?" He asked.  
"It's either that or you're a crazy psycho stalker," she said before turning on her heel and walking out of the place.

She was halfway across the parking lot when she heard his voice through the darkness.

"Claire!" He bellowed after her.

Picking up her pace, almost running towards the car, trying to get away from him as fast as possible. What had she done? Why on earth had she called him out like that? As if he didn't already scare her before, she was about to piss herself in fear in that moment.

Cursing lowly at herself while trying to locate the car keys in her purse. She finally found them and pulled them out just to have them snatched from her hand immetiately. She spun around fast and came face to face with him. She instinctly tried to take a step backwards and found herself pressed up against her car.

"You're not driving," he said.  
"I have to go home," she said, trying to hide the fear in her voice.  
"You've been drinking so you're not driving. I'm taking you home," he said.  
"The hell you aren't!" She spat.

He put his hands down on the roof of her car, trapping her between his arms, as he bowed his head down to stand eye to eye with her.

"I'm taking you home. Now get in the passenger seat," his voice was so low, almost growling, and she immetiately stopped arguing out of pure fear.

He took a step backwards, allowing her to walk around the car and get in on the other side, while he climbed into the front seat. He started the car and started driving without another word. For a while they sat in silence like that until he suddenly opened his mouth again.

"I'm not sent by him to keep an eye on you," he said.  
"Then what are you doing?" She asked.  
"Watching you. Not for him though," he answered.  
"For who then?" She asked.

He didn't answer though. He just closed the conversation as quickly as he had started it and she didn't dare to ask again. Instead she just sat in silence while he drove her home and parked the car in the driveway. He took out the keys and handed them back to her. She quickly took them and almost jumped out of the car and ran towards the front door.

She unlocked the door and turned around to see if he had left just to find him standing right there close to her again. She let out a little scream of surprise. It was the second time in such a short amount of time this evening he had crept up on her like that without her even hearing him.

"Are you afraid of me?" He asked.

She inhaled quickly. There really wasn't any point in lying when he was up front with her like that.

"Yes," she admitted.  
"That's funny," he said and reached for a lock of her hair, twirling it around his fingers before looking her straight in the eyes. "You're married to an abusive prick like Kevin but you're afraid of me."

He released her hair but kept his eyes on her. She tried pushing herself further up the door but the wooden material just wouldn't budge.

"He's not abusive," she said.  
A small grunt left his mouth.  
"I'm sure you're good at a lot of things but lying ain't one of them," he said.

He reached up and put his hand on her cheek and she immetiately cowered in fear.

"See, you can't hide it. But don't worry," he said as his thumb gently caressed her cheek. "I would never hurt a woman like that. I'm not the one to fear."

He turned around and walked away from her without another word, leaving her standing there with her mouth open, not able to understand what had just happened. She reached behind her to grab the door handle and push the door open, almost falling backwards into her home. She hurried to close the door and lock it before he might get the idea of turning around again and following her inside. She looked through the little window in the door, watching as he turned around to send one last look her way, and a little smirk crept up on his face as he saw she was looking at him.


	2. No

She stretched her body and yawned a little before hitting the save button on the text program on her computer. It was a little over noon and she had been working non stop after getting up that morning. She had skipped breakfast and her stomach was starting to growl more and more.

She heard Kevin's voice from the kitchen as she was walking down the stairs. She wondered who was out there with him and her eyes quickly widened as she stepped out to join them and saw Roman sitting there.

"Look who finally decided to get out of bed. Nice of you to join us, Claire," Kevin said sarcastically.  
"I've actually been up for many hours. I've been working," she tried but as always he wasn't listening.  
"Roman's staying for dinner. Make chicken," he ordered.

With a sigh she turned around and started walking out of the kitchen again, completely aware of Roman's eyes burning a hole into her back. Apparently breakfast/lunch had to wait until she had been to the store to shop to make the god damn chicken Kevin demanded.

"I swear it's the only thing she knows how to cook without screwing it up completely," she heard his mocking tone.

She dropped her shoulders low as she continued walking out of the house.

She heard their voices coming from outside when she came back and walked through the livingroom. A quick look towards the windows and the open patio door let her know they were sitting next to the pool. Kevin's back was turned against her but Roman was staring right at her again. She got goosebumbs and hurried out in the kitchen. She took a look at the clock and sighed. Better get dinner started and forget all about eating anything till then. She had lost her appetite anyway.

With the chicken finally in the oven, she grabbed a knife and started cutting bell peppers.

"Damn, it smells good in here." She jumped by the sound of Roman's voice.  
She put the knife down and turned around to see him standing in the doorway with a childish grin on his face.  
"Did I frighten you?" He asked, well knowing he did.

He slowly started walking towards her.

"I thought I told you yesterday I'm not the one to fear," he said.

She pressed herself against the counter as he stopped right in front of her. With a teasing look in his eyes he leaned in while reaching behind her. She held her breath, scared of this man who had her locked in again. His hand came back out from behind her with a piece of bell pepper in it. He put it in his mouth and slowly chewed it.

"Delicious," he said, his eyes still firmly locked on hers, and suddenly she wasn't so sure it was the bell pepper he was talking about.

He smirked and she realized she must have sent some sort of signal towards him with the look on her face. He reached behind her again and two seconds later his hand came up to her lips with another piece of bell pepper. Without a word from neither of them, she allowed him to put it in her mouth.

Satisfied he took a step backwards.

"You really should eat. It's not healthy to starve yourself," he said.

"I haven't..." He waved his hand in the air and cut her off before she finished the sentence.  
"Please! It's not hard to figure out. If Kevin thinks you've been sleeping all day then you haven't been down here since you got up, meaning you haven't eaten. I bet you were coming down to eat when he sent you shopping," he said.

She didn't answer. How could she? He was right. Her silence gave her away and with a small nod more to himself than her, he turned and walked to the fridge and grabbed two beers.

"Better get back out there with these before he starts wondering where I went to," he said and walked out of the kitchen again, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

She felt like a nervous wreck when they finally sat down for dinner. Although Roman had been coming in their house for six months now, he had never actually eaten there before. She knew Kevin would diss her food no matter what but she was scared what Roman might think about it. Somehow his opinion mattered to her.

"Roman's staying here for some time," Kevin suddenly said casually.  
"No." Instantly she got scared when she realized she had said it out loud instead of thinking it.  
"No? Since when do you get a saying in anything around here?" He asked coldly.

She knew she had messed up and she would have to pay for that later. Too afraid to look over the table and meet Roman's eyes to see if he too was judging her, she tried to smooth things out while looking down at her hands.

"I didn't mean to say no. What I meant was to ask how come?" She felt pathetic.  
"None of your business," he answered.  
"I just bought a new house and it needs some work so I got workers running all around," Roman said.  
"Dude, you don't have to explain it to her. She just has to accept you're here," Kevin cut in.

She quickly looked up and met Roman's eyes. There was something in them she couldn't explain, some sort of protecting look, and she quickly sent a thankful look his way before looking down again. She wouldn't want Kevin to catch on even though she had only been looking at him.

"Dinner was absolutely amazing," Roman switched the subject completely. "I do hope you'll be cooking everyday while I'm here."  
"Don't get your hopes up. I told you she only knows how to make chicken," Kevin shut her down before she could even thank Roman for the compliment.

Instead of saying anything, she just stood up and started clearing the table for plates while the two men went inside the livingroom.

"Remember to get the guest room ready for Roman," Kevin shouted out to her.

"What the fuck was that?" Kevin sneered later that evening once they were alone in the bedroom.  
"What was what?" She asked confused.  
"At dinner. No? How dare you talk back to me like that?" He was all up in her face.  
"I didn't. I said the wrong word by accident. I would never..." She tried.  
"You damn right, you would never! This is my house! My rules! You do whatever the fuck I tell you to!" He yelled.

Roman came walking out of the bathroom to the sound of something going down inside their bedroom. He wasn't sure what exactly had just happened but something sure wasn't right by the sound of her cries. He hurried over to the door and knocked on it.

"Is everything alright in there?" He asked.  
"Everything's fine. Claire just tripped over her slippers," Kevin answered.

Roman bit his tongue and swallowed back the words of asking her directly if she was okay. He knew now was not the time to show her he was concerned. Not if he wanted to stay in the house near her instead of being kicked out by Kevin.

"Alright then. Goodnight," he called.  
"Goodnight." Only Kevin's voice reached him.


	3. Watching

Monday morning. Her favourite morning of the week. Six out of seven mornings were the same. Kevin always left way early since he owned his own business and was a busy man. But he was home most Sundays, making her life a living hell, which made Monday morning, the first morning after a day with him, even more special.

The house was quiet when she woke up around 8 AM. She had no idea what Roman actually did for a living but she assumed he was at work too. One quick look out of the window and she saw it was a glorious day. The sun was up and it was already warm. She decided to go for a quick swim in the pool and put on her bikini.

She walked downstairs and outside and dumped her towel on one of the pool chairs. The water was cool and with the sun warming her back from above, she started swimming. As she turned around at the end in the middle of her fourth lab, her heart got stuck in her throat. There Roman stood in the other end by the stairs only wearing a pair of army green shorts, just watching her with a smile on his face, holding her towel in his hands. There was no way around it. She had to swim back to him. She tried her hardest not to stare at his bare chest or show him she felt intimidated as she made her way back through the water.

"Don't you have a job like normal people?" She asked annoyed.  
"I do. I'm a fighter. I work mostly at nights in the weekends," he answered.  
"Some illegal underground shit?" She asked.  
"No, it's perfectly legal. That's actually how I met Kevin. He bet on me and won," he answered.

She took a look around, feeling uncomfortable by him still just standing there.

"Are you gonna get up?" He asked with a chuckle.

There really wasn't any way around it. He wasn't going anyway. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, trying to cover up just a little, before starting to walk up the stairs towards him. Why couldn't he just move out of the way? Once she finally reached the top, he put the towel around her shoulders which made her shiver.

His eyes ran down her body and she suddenly felt so exposed. He stopped at her stomach and reached his hand forward to touch the fresh bruise that was there.

"So this is what I heard last night. What was it? A punch? A kick? Or did he shove you into something?" He asked.

She quickly took a step to the side, away from his hand, away from his touch, away from him. She put the towel in front of her as she tried to cover up the best she could in the situation.

"Kevin's an asshole. Why do you stay with him?" He asked.  
"Why are you friends with him if you don't like him?" She fired back.

He didn't say anything. He just looked at her with those eyes that made her feel like she was being swallowed whole.

"Sorry, I forgot. I don't get to ask you anything personal." She hissed.  
"At least I don't lie or put my hands on a woman," he said.  
"No, you just ignore me whenever you feel like it which is actually way worse. Kevin might not be a saint but at least he communicates with me. But maybe I should just do what you do. Ignore you. Maybe you'll go away then," she said.

She turned around and started walking back towards the house without another word. For a second she thought he was actually gonna let her go away and leave her be. That thought was quickly put aside as she reached the patio door.

"Okay, fine. You wanna know the truth?" He asked.

She stopped and listened but still didn't turn around to look at him. She wouldn't give him him that. At least not yet.

"Do you remember the first time we met? Kevin brought me and some of the other fighters here. He was so thrilled about the money he made by betting on us winners that he invited us home for a party," he said.

She remembered that night. She had no idea who those strange men were that suddenly were downstairs and she wasn't about to go down and find out.

"Already after just two minutes in the car with him on our way here, I knew he was no good. I told myself that I would just party and drink his booze and then never see him again. That idea lasted for 30 minutes until I went upstairs to use the bathroom. It was occupied and I waited and suddenly you came walking out of there," he said.

She remembered that too. He had just been standing there, staring at her, not saying one word, and she had been so scared and hurried around him and back to the bedroom.

"I'd never seen anyone so beautiful but your eyes looked so sad and scared that I wondered if you thought I might hurt you. So I didn't say anything. I just let you pass. But I decided then and there to become close with Kevin just so I could come back here and continue seeing you, maybe get to know you somehow," he said.

He was quiet for a few seconds and then suddenly she felt his hands on her shoulders. She jumped a little. He had done it again. Crept up on her without her hearing him. How did he always do that?

"So I watched you, watched him, watched what he did to you, watched how you watched me when you thought I wasn't paying attention," he said in a dark voice.  
Again she shivered.  
"I swear the first couple of times I saw you at the bars were nothing but a coincidence but then I started going out in search for you. You're not hard to find. You only go to two different bars. So maybe I did come across as a stalker and I apologize for that. I just wanted to make sure you were safe," he said.  
"But why sit in a dark corner like a creep? Why not talk with me?" She asked.

His hands tightened around her shoulders as he pulled her up against him. A small gasp left her mouth as she felt his erection poke into her back. One of his hands moved up to push her hair over to the other side, leaving her shoulder and neck bare. He bowed his head down so he was close to her ear.

"I know you feel that. That's what you do to me. I couldn't go to you when you were out drinking. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to control myself around you in case you were drunk and maybe feeling a bit loose due to the alcohol," he said.

His breath was hot against her bare neck and goosebumps ran up her arms.

"You better go put on some clothes..." He said and ghosted his lips across her neck. "...before I tear this bikini from your body and show you how a real man treats a woman."

He let go off her and she quickly ran inside, up the stairs, away from his wanting eyes, his soft lips and his warm hands. She had never felt so confused before. Wanted and confused at the same time. She locked herself inside the bathroom and took a long shower to try and clear her mind.

He had stayed outside and she didn't wanna go back out to him. Instead she walked into the office and turned on her computer to get some work done. She had a hard time concentrating. She couldn't get his words or the feel of him out of her head. It didn't help that the window in the office faced the pool. She slowly walked over to take a look down just to see him sitting on one of the pool chairs with his eyes firmly planted up at her and a smirk on his face. She jumped back and away from the window. What the hell was he doing to her?


	4. Worth the wait

Days went by without another incident. He stayed outside by the pool most of the time while she stayed inside the office to work. The weekdays were soon over and Friday rolled around. He didn't disturb her while working and he didn't corner her whenever she came down in the kitchen, but his eyes were always there if she dared to take a look out of the window. Their paths only crossed each night at dinner but Kevin was always there too.

She had just entered the kitchen to fix some lunch when she heard the door bell. She walked out of the kitchen and to the front door to open and came face to face with a tall, strange man she hadn't seen before.

"Well, hello gorgeous," he said as he eyed her up and down.

She suddenly regretted wearing a short, white Summer dress by the way he looked at her.

"Who... who are you?" She asked.  
"I'll be anybody you want me to be," he answered and stuck out his tongue.

She instinctly took a step backwards.

"Dean!" Roman's voice suddenly sounded behind her.  
She turned around to see him walk towards them with a smile on his face.  
"Don't scare her like that. She's Kevin's wife," he said.  
"Oh, she's the one. How the hell did he ever land someone like that?" Dean asked.

Feeling misplaced in a conversation where it seemed like they were gonna talk about her instead of to her, she walked back in the kitchen without another word. Roman watched her go, taking in the sight of her legs and how that short dress looked on her, before he turned his attention to Dean again.

"Anyway, ready to go?" Dean asked.  
"Give me five minutes. Wait in the car," Roman answered.

Dean grinned and nodded and turned around to walk back to the car while Roman shut the front door again and headed towards the kitchen. He stopped and leaned up against the door frame as he looked at her.

"You've been hiding from me all week," he said.  
"I've been working," she said.  
"How is the book coming along?" He asked.  
"Almost done," she answered.  
"Can't wait to read it," he said.

She let out a little, nervous laugh.

"What? I read, you know," he said with a smile.  
"I doubt you read the type of thing I write," she said.  
"I've read them all. Your last one about the Norse gods were amazing. You really did your research. So what's the new one about?" He said.  
"The Egyptian gods," she said lowly, not able to actually believe he could have the slightest interest in something like that.  
"Interesting," he said and pushed himself off the door frame, slowly making his way towards her. "They have a different god for basically everything. Lots of work, lots of gods to worship."

He stopped in front of her and reached for her hair, slowly twirling a lock of it around his fingers. His other hand landed on her hip while he slowly leaned in. She felt his breath close to her ear and it sent shivers down her spine.

"I'll settle with worshipping just one," he said.

She placed her hands on his chest, knowing she had to push him away, but she didn't.

"But you said... the other day you said..." She couldn't form the sentence.  
"I know what I said. I said I was afraid I wouldn't be able to control myself around you in case you were drunk and maybe feeling a bit loose. But that only meant that I wouldn't want to take advantage of you while being intoxicated. I want you sober and willing when I'm with you," he said.  
"When?" She asked.

He let go off her hair and let that hand land on her other hip. Both hands slowly started pulling her dress up.

"Roman?" She asked nervously.  
"Do you want me to stop?" He asked back and ran his tongue over her neck.

She didn't answer. Did she want him to stop? Not really. She knew she should make him stop, that would be the right thing to do considering she was married, but she didn't actually want him to stop. He chuckled by her missing answer, knowing her silence was the only answer he needed.

He pulled the dress up to her hips and held it there with his left hand while his right hand travelled down her panties. She drew in a sharp breath and dug her nails into his chest by the sudden feeling of his hand in her most private area.

"Roman?" She asked again.  
"Tell me to stop and I will," he said as his fingers slowly started playing with her clit.  
She bit her lip, her mind racing like crazy.  
"Don't... don't stop," she finally said as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

His tongue ran over her neck again before he attached his lips and teeth to it, biting and kissing gently. He pushed his hand further down and pushed two fingers inside her. She yelped and grabbed on to his shoulders to steady herself. He let go off her dress with his left hand and moved his entire arm around her lower back to hold her up and pull her close while his fingers worked their way in and out of her and his palm slid over her clit again and again.

His arm tensed around her back as he felt her get close.

"I got you," he whispered.

His words were all it took for her to let go. She cried out as her legs gave way under her. He held her up in a firm grip with his arm while his hand continued to work inside her through her orgasm.

When she relaxed again, he moved his hand out of her panties and around her as well to hold her close for a few seconds. He let his fingers run up her spine and into her hair. He gently pulled her head out to look down at her. She was blushing and he couldn't help but smile before he bowed his head down to kiss her. Strangly enough she felt more guilty about kissing him than what she had just allowed him to do before that. She pulled her head away and looked down ashamed, not able to meet his eyes in that moment.

"Don't start thinking too much about it. Just enjoy the moment," he chuckled.

She nodded, not able to find any words to say.

"I'm gonna go to the gym with Dean but I'll be back for dinner. Will you be all right?" He asked.  
"Yeah," she croaked.  
"Hey," he said softly and placed his fingers under her chin to lift up her head. "Look at me."  
She finally looked back up at him.  
"I can only imagine how your mind is racing right now but don't feel guilty. He lost you the second he put his hands on you the first time," he said.

He bowed down to give her another kiss and then he was gone, leaving her alone in the kitchen with her thoughts.

"Took you long enough," Dean grinned when Roman finally entered the car.  
"Just had to show her something," Roman said.  
"What?" Dean asked.  
"The only way a man should put his hands on a woman," Roman answered and started grinning too.  
"You sick fuck," Dean laughed and started the engine. "About time though. You've been talking about her for ages. Was she worth the wait then?"  
"You have no idea how much she's worth," Roman said.


	5. Fighter

Their loud voices coming from the kitchen reached Roman the second he opened the door to their home.

"But no one's here to see me," she said.  
"I don't care! You don't dress like a fucking slut when we have people staying over!" Kevin yelled.  
"Stop! You're hurting me!" She cried.

Roman slammed the door harder than necessary, the sound travelling out to the kitchen, and their voices immetiately died down. Just two seconds later she came running out with her arms wrapped around herself. She didn't look in his direction. She just ran up the stairs, that short white dress waving behind her a bit.

"What was that all about?" Roman asked as he entered the kitchen.  
"What was what all about?" Kevin played dumb.  
"Thought I heard shouting when I came in," Roman said.  
"Just a woman on her period, going all crazy on my ass," Kevin lied.

Roman just nodded and pretended to believe his lie. He probably knew better than Kevin that she was no way near her period. He turned around to hide the smirk that appeared on his face when his thoughts ran back to earlier that day. If Kevin only knew what had happened just about where he was standing right now.

She came back a couple of minutes later all covered up in a pair of black jeans, hot pink top and a black cardigan. It was way too hot to cover up entirely and Roman didn't like it one bit. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying and she did her best not to look at any of them while she quickly finished dinner.

"So, you coming to watch us fight tonight?" Roman asked as they had finished dinner.  
"Not tonight. I got an important business meeting," Kevin answered.  
"What a shame," Roman said while his eyes landed on her.  
"How about you bring the guys back here for a party afterwards? You can just start it and I'll join in once my meeting is done," Kevin said.  
"Sounds good to me," Roman said.  
"Good," Kevin said and turned his focus to her. "Go buy some snacks for them. You think you can handle that?"  
"Yeah," she said lowly.  
"Great, then it's settled. Now I'll leave you to it. Thanks for dinner. It was uneventful as always," Kevin said as he got up and left.

Roman waited till he heard the front door open and close.

"Well, I think you're a great cook," he said and smiled.  
"You don't have to lie," she said.  
"I'm not. You already know I never lie. Why on earth would I start now?" He said.

She shrugged her shoulders and got up. She reached for his plate but he grabbed her wrist to stop her. He kept a firm look in her eyes as he got up as well. His hands moved up to her cardigan and slowly started pushing it down her shoulders. She took a quick step backwards but the look he gave her made her stop. Once again he started pushing the cardigan down until her upper arms finally came into view and showed the marks from Kevin's hands. Clearly he had been holding on to her way too tight to leave those marks. Roman had a feeling that had happened from the way her arms had been wrapped around herself as she ran up the stairs. Now he knew for sure.

"That little piece of shit!" He growled lowly.  
"It's okay. It's nothing," she said and quickly pulled the cardigan back up to cover herself.  
"It's never nothing," he said.  
"It's my own fault. I shouldn't dress like I did today. It sends the wrong signal to you," she said.  
"This isn't you talking. It's him," he said.  
"Well, he isn't wrong, now, is he?" She raised her voice.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"Do you regret it?" He asked down in her hair.  
"That's the worst part. I don't," she answered.  
"Come with me tonight. Watch me fight. See what I do for a living," he said.  
"I can't. I'm on snack duty, remember?" She said.  
"I got you covered," he said.

He released her and winked at her while he took out his phone.

"I got this friend who always has tons of snacks and junk food lying around. He burns calories like crazy due to crossfit so he can eat whatever he wants," he said.

He dialed the number and put the phone to his ear.

"Seth! Hey brother. Listen, load your car with whatever junk you hide in your house. We're having a party tonight. Yeah, yeah. Sounds good. See you there," he said and hung up, turning his focus back to her. "So, you wanna come along?"

"Claire, right?" Dean suddenly stood next to her.  
"Yeah, Claire. I'm surprised you're still breathing after your match," she said.  
"It takes more to keep me down, gorgeous," he said and winked.

She nodded and turned her focus back to the ring where Roman was currently fighting.

"He's good," Dean had leaned close to her ear.  
"Really good," she said.  
"You know he likes you, right? Not just a silly boy crush like back in high school. He really likes you," he said.  
"How can you be so sure?" She asked.  
"You want me to prove it to you?" He giggled. "Fine, I'll prove it."

He suddenly stood behind her, wrapped his arms around her stomach and pulled her close. He leaned down to her ear again.

"Watch him looking at us. Looking at you. See how mad he suddenly is," he said.  
"Please, let go. I don't want any trouble," she said scared.  
"Don't worry, gorgeous. He's not mad at me. He knows I'd never try to make a move on you. He's mad because he sees the look on your face. You're looking all scared right now, aren't you?" He asked.  
"Yes," the word could barely leave her lips.  
"You look scared a lot from what he tells me. It pisses him off. He wants to keep you safe. And for the record, I would never hurt you, gorgeous. Kevin's the only bastard in your life. The rest of us are good guys," he said and let go off her.

"Here is your winner: Roman Reigns!" A woman's voice sounded.

"And getting him mad like that makes it impossible for anyone to beat him. Remember that. Impossible for anyone!" He said with a smirk, indicating something more with those words.

She was quiet on the way home. She knew she wasn't supposed to be part of the party they were gonna start and she had every intention to just go upstairs unnoticed. She should have known she was never unnoticed around Roman. As if he knew her plan, he immediately grabbed her hand the moment they stepped inside and dragged her towards the couch. Before she could say anything, the man that had introduced himself as Seth dumped down on her other side.

"May I draw you?" He asked as he held a sketchbook in his hands.  
"What?" She asked confused.  
"Not naked or anything. I just like to draw people when I meet them. Makes me remember them better," he said.  
"You draw people?" She asked.  
"People, animals, nature, whatever I feel like," he answered.  
"May I see?" She asked.  
"Sure," he answered and handed her the sketchbook.

She started looking through his drawings and was surprised and impressed.

"Holy shit, these are really good," she said.  
"Thank you," he said.

She kept looking through it and suddenly stopped and dropped her jaw.

"You drew Bast?" She asked.  
"Yeah, a beautiful goddess," he answered.  
"You don't understand. I'm currently writing a book about the Egyptian gods. Bast is my favourite," she said.  
"Oh, how funny. I just like cats," he chuckled.  
"I gotta have you!" She blurted out.  
"What?" Seth and Roman asked at the same time on either side of her.  
"No, shit, sorry, not like that. My old sketch artist retired after my last book. I haven't found a new one. I gotta have you. If you can draw all the gods like this one, then I'll be one lucky woman to have you on board," she said.  
"Wow, that's... wow... holy shit! Roman, you hear this?" Seth was one big smile.  
"I hear it," Roman said.  
"You gotta be able to draw fast though, like really fast. The book is almost done and we're way behind since we haven't been able to find a new sketch artist. Well, one that I thought was good enough," she said and blushed.  
"I'll work my ass off the entire next week," he said with a promise.  
"I'll go call my publisher right away and set up a meeting Monday. She has the final saying but I know she won't say no once she sees this. You're free Monday, right?" She said.

He nodded and she quickly took off up the stairs to make the call in peace. She got the meeting set up and opened the door to step out of her office again. To her surprise Roman stood there waiting for her.

"So?" He asked.  
"Monday morning at 10," she answered.

He smiled and nodded, then took her hand and led her to the guest room.

"Roman..." She started but he shushed her.  
"Ssh, we're going in here. I'll never lay you down in the bed you share with him," he said.

He wrapped his arms around her and slowly walked her backwards.

"You got that look on your face again. Do I still scare you?" He asked.  
"Yes," she answered truthfully.

"I don't like that. I want you to feel safe around me," he said.  
"It's not you as a person that scares me. It's what you represent," she said.  
"And what is that?" He asked.  
"A different life. A better life. A life I can never have," she answered.  
"You can have it. I know you want it," he said.  
"How can you be so sure?" She asked.  
"Why else would you be on your back under me instead of running away?" He asked with a smirk.

It wasn't until then she realized that she was actually lying down on her back on the guest bed, his bed these days, with him straddling her legs, his arms on either side of her face, looking down at her with lustful eyes. How he had managed to back her up and get her down without her even noticing, she couldn't understand, yet there she was. He had done it again. Crept up on her unnoticed even thought he'd been right in front of her the whole time.

"How do you always do that?" She asked.  
"What?" He asked as he leaned down to kiss her neck.  
"You're always there whether I notice you or not," she said.  
One of his hands slowly made its way under her top and up towards her breasts.  
"It's because I was always meant to be here," he whispered.

"Roman!" Dean barged into the room.  
Roman quickly pulled his hand out of her top again.  
"Damn it, Dean, don't you knock?" He asked annoyed.  
"Normally I would. Sorry about that, gorgeous. But we can argue about that later... say... at a time where Kevin's not fucking home and downstairs!" Dean hissed.  
"Shit!" Roman sneered and quickly removed himself from her.

She jumped out of bed without a word, ran out of the room and into the bedroom.

"Fucking hell!" Roman growled before turning his eyes to Dean. "Thank you. I owe you one."  
"Anytime. Now, go downstairs and pretend to be his best friend so he won't suspect anything," Dean said.


	6. Working up an appetite

It was a long weekend for Roman. They had partied way into Saturday morning and when he finally got out of bed, Kevin was at work and Claire was behind the closed door in her office. He knew better than to disturb her when she was in there working. This was her livelihood and probably the only thing that had kept her sane for years being in an abusive marriage. As always Kevin had come home for dinner and unfortunately he had went along with Roman to watch him fight that night. Sunday was Kevin's day off which had made it impossible for Roman to get anywhere near her.

But Monday came around and he was waiting at the bottom of the stairs as she came down dressed in a pair of white jeans and a sky blue long sleeved blouse. She looked professional, all ready for her morning meeting.

"Ready to go?" He asked.  
She looked at him confused as he played with the car key in his hand.  
"We're picking up Seth along the way. Don't worry, I'll stay in the car like a good boy while you're in there for your meeting," he said with a smile.  
"You're coming along?" She asked.  
"Of course. Anything to be near you since I've hardly seen you since Friday night. And we need to talk, don't you think?" He answered.  
"We probably do. Not now though, not before the meeting. Later," she said and gave him a pleading look.  
"Anything you want, sweetheart," he said.

For a second she froze when she heard him call her that. It wasn't that she didn't like it, far from. It was because he hadn't said something like that before. A little smile formed on her face as she started walking out of the house.

The meeting went by fast and just as she had expected. Her publisher was crazy about Seth's work and he was hired right on the spot. Roman wasn't sure which one seemed more thrilled about it when they returned to the car. Both Seth and Claire were on cloud nine.

"Come inside for a cup of coffee," Seth said as they stopped in front of his house.  
"We really should get going," she said.  
"Just one cup. My way of thanking you for what you've done for me today," he said.  
"Alright," she said.

They walked inside. Seth went straight to the kitchen while Roman and Claire made their way into the livingroom. Roman sat down on the couch but Claire's attention had been caught by a bunch of little furballs.

"Oh my god!" She said happy as she sat down on the floor and started playing with the five kittens.  
"Oh yeah, I have kittens," Seth said casually as he walked into the livingroom. "Six weeks old. You want one when they're old enough to leave their mom?"  
"I'd love to but Kevin doesn't like animals," she said, running her fingers on one of the kittens' belly. "You're so cute. Yes, you are. Yes, you are."

Seth sat down next to Roman and opened his sketchbook, starting to draw her on the floor with the kittens.

"Look how happy she looks," he said lowly.  
"Trust me, I see it," Roman said in the same low tone.  
"Which one is your favourite?" Seth asked her.  
"I can't choose," she answered as she held up a grey stribed kitten and a black kitten. "Tiger and Black Beauty here have both stolen my heart."

30 minutes and a cup of coffee later and Roman and Claire left Seth's house to go back home.

"Should we pick up some lunch?" Roman asked once he started the car.  
"Sure. Whatever you like," she answered.  
"Sushi sounds good to you?" He asked.  
"Sushi for lunch? You're spoiling me," she giggled.  
"Better get used to it," he said and winked.

They walked into the kitchen where he put down the bag with sushi on the kitchen table. She was humming a happy tune as she went to the fridge to take out some lemonade for them to drink. Watching her closely, hearing her sound happy, he couldn't stop himself. He was right there close to her when she turned around, creeping up on her as only he could do it. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, slowly walked her to the counter and lifted her up to sit on it. His hands quickly found their way under her blouse and she pulled away from him.

"Not here," she begged.  
"Hold on tight, sweetheart," he said as he moved his hands around her and lifted her up again.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck while he started walking towards the stairs. He demanded her lips again while he slowly carried her up the stairs and into the guest room.

He sat down on the bed with her on his lap. His fingers went for her blouse and three seconds later it was on the floor. His lips went for her cleavage, kissing his way from there, over her breast and towards her arm that was still blue after Kevin had grabbed her Friday. He gently kissed over her bruises, up to her shoulder, and back to her lips again.

His fingers went around her, opening her bra, and shortly after it was on the floor as well. His hands found her breasts right away, gently squeezing, playing with them, just enjoying the feeling of her. She tugged on his shirt and he moved back a little so she could pull it over his head. He wrapped his arms around her again, pulled her close, felt her breasts against his chest, as he swung her around and down on her back on the bed.

"Are you still scared?" He asked as he started kissing his way down her neck.  
"No. I know you won't hurt me," she answered.  
"Never," he said.

He kissed his way down her stomach and stopped as he reached her jeans. He looked up to catch her eyes as his fingers started opening her jeans. He crawled off the bed and in one swift move her jeans and panties came off her, leaving her naked on the bed in front of him. He sucked in his breath as he took a long look at her.

"You sure are beautiful," he said.  
She blushed and covered her face with her hands. He grabbed them and moved them away.  
"Don't hide from me, sweetheart. Never hide from me," he said and smiled.

He took a step backwards and got out of his shorts and boxers. Her eyes widened when she saw him. He was gorgeous, like a fucking god to look at. He was big, he was wide, he was everything she wanted. He was hers.

He settled between her legs and kissed her again.  
"You sure about this?" He asked.  
"God, I want you!" She blurted out.  
He chuckled and started pushing himself inside her.

He laced their fingers together as he started thrusting in and out of her. His lips never left her skin as they worked their way around her neck, jaw and lips constantly. Her moans were like a choir of angels in his ears. For each moan she made, he got more and more lost in her, slowly picking up the pace, thrusting into her faster. When she finally arched up into him and cried out in the only way he would ever want to hear her cry, he felt complete. He kept thrusting through her orgasm and pushed himself over the edge as well.

For a while they just laid there, him on top of her, fingers still laced together, while they were catching their breaths. He pulled his head up and looked down at the woman under him. She was beautiful, like an angel lighting up the darkest sky. She had his heart, she had his soul. She was the one he wanted in his life, the one he wanted to protect and keep safe, the one he wanted to hold every night, and with that look on her face in that moment, she was his.

"So lunch," she finally broke the silence and brought him back to reality.  
"Yeah, I'd say we worked up a pretty good appetite," he laughed.


	7. Make it or break it

As Roman laid there on his back with Claire cuddled up on his chest and his arms wrapped around her, he couldn't help but think back on the past week. It had gone by so fast. Ever since getting her into his bed that Monday, he hadn't missed the chance of repeating that everyday and now it was Friday. He knew he had crossed every possible line but he couldn't stop himself. Not when he was around her. He wanted her too much.

"How's the book coming along?" He asked and ran his fingers up and down her arm.  
"It's done actually. Just need to write my thank you list," she answered.  
"Oh yeah? Will I be mentioned?" He asked.  
"Of course. How does this sound? I'd like to thank my publisher Zahara White for being patient with me, my sketch artist Seth Rollins for stepping up to the challenge, and Roman Reigns, the man who's been fucking my brains out the last week," she joked.  
"Sounds good to me," he chuckled.

She stretched her body and turned her head upwards to look at him.

"How long do I have you for?" She asked.  
"For as long as you want," he answered.  
"No, I mean, how long will you be staying with us here?" She asked.  
"One more week. The workers should be done next week," he answered.

The sad look on her face was not to be mistaken even though she tried to look away and hide it.

"Hey," he said softly and dragged her up to give her a quick kiss. "I'll come by whenever you want me to. Everyday if that's what you want."

She gave him a half hearted smile and pushed herself out of his arms.

"Better get that thank you list written. I promised Zahara she would get everything by the end of the day," she said as she started to get dressed. "Oh, and will you contact Seth for me? Kevin's bound to find out soon that Seth is on board the book so I need Seth to lie and say he just answered to the job add and that we have never met. Same goes for Dean. We have never met. You know how Kevin is. I can't take any chances."

He sat up and reached for her hand.  
"Hey, relax," he said.  
He pulled her in between his legs, wrapped his arms around her and leaned his head on her stomach.  
"They already know to shut up around him. No one's gonna hurt you or put you in any danger. Not as long as I'm around," he said and kissed her stomach.

She ran her fingers through his hair and looked down. He raised his head and met her eyes. Those god damn pleading eyes that always sucked her right in whenever she tried to take a mental step back. He wasn't gonna let her get away. They both knew it.

"I'd like for you to come tonight," he said.  
She let out a small laugh, knowing that wasn't possible.  
"No, I'm serious. This TV crew is coming to film us to see if it's anything the audience would like to see. This could be a big deal for me, for all of us. I want you there for what could be my big break," he said.  
"You know Kevin will never let me tag along," she said.  
"You leave that to me," he said and kissed her stomach again, his last words slowly drowning between his kisses. "I want you there. I want you there with me. I want you."

"Kevin, I have a favour to ask you," Roman suddenly said during dinner.

She looked up quickly, her eyes meeting his across the table, before Roman looked back at Kevin again.

"Yeah?" Kevin asked.  
"You know I told you how this TV station is interested in us. Well, turns out they're coming tonight to film us. Problem is they asked for us to somehow bring more women in the audience to try and hit home with entire families watching us. I only know one woman we can bring along," Roman said casually while nodding his head in Claire's direction.  
Kevin just started laughing.  
"I'm serious, Kevin. Who cares if she likes it or not? We just need some female faces on the screen. This could be a make it or break it situation for me. I already make good money but imagine the money I'll start making if we get a TV deal like that. Maybe I can finally invest in your company like you've talked about so many times," Roman said.

The half promise of money caught Kevin's attention and he stopped laughing immetiately.

"You know what, that sounds like a plan. She can come along," Kevin said.  
"Great," Roman said and smiled.

Although she was happy to be there that night, she had a hard time enjoying it. How could she when Kevin was constantly there by her side? She couldn't start cheering and feeling like a part of the show. He wouldn't allow it.

"Hey Kevin," Dean's familiar voice sounded as he approached them.  
"Hey Dean, great match. You owned that son of a bitch," Kevin said.  
"Always do," Dean said and smirked before looking at Claire. "Who's this lovely lady?"  
"Just my wife," Kevin answered quickly. "Would you like a beer? Let me buy you a beer. You deserve it."

They both watched as Kevin walked towards the bar.

"How are you holding up, gorgeous?" Dean asked.  
"I'm not sure," she answered while she looked over her shoulder.  
"Don't worry, I got eyes on him. He won't see us talking," he assured her.  
"It's not that..." Her voice died out before she finished the sentence.  
"Yes, it is. It's always that. It's always him. He's not good for you and you know it. We all know it. You should leave him. Just fucking leave him and start being happy," he said.  
"My marriage is none of your concern," she said.  
"No, but Roman is my concern," he said, wanting to say much more but he had to stop himself and just whispered his last words while looking at the ring instead of her. "Asshole's coming back now."

"Here you go, Dean," Kevin said and handed Dean a beer.  
"Thank you," Dean answered.  
"Oh, Roman's up," Kevin said and turned his focus on the ring.

Roman's eyes wandered towards the three people right away and landed on her standing in the middle between Kevin and Dean. Her eyes, her entire face screamed of sadness and fear and he felt the anger boil inside him. How he just wanted to jump out of the ring, run to them, knock Kevin out and take her far away from him. Instead he turned to his opponent and beat him down merciless.

"Holy fuck! Never seen Roman fight like that," Kevin said surprised.  
"Well, he's got a lot on his mind these days," Dean said as his eyes met Claire's. "A whole damn lot."


	8. Blackmail

Roman received a call Sunday afternoon and not just any call. An important call. A call bringing news he couldn't wait to share with everyone he knew but he wanted to share it with Claire before anyone else. So he waited. He waited for Sunday to end and Monday to begin. He couldn't sleep that night and Kevin was surprised to find him sitting at their kitchen table with coffee early Monday morning. He didn't question it though.

As soon as Kevin left the house and Roman heard his car pull out of the driveway, he ran up the stairs, taking it two steps at the time.

"Claire!" His voice roared through the entire house.

Her eyes were only half open as he barged into the bedroom. Her brain didn't get any time to register who it was before he threw himself on top of her, laughing like crazy, almost knocking the entire air out of her. Suddenly she was fully awake.

"They're doing it! It's happening! Holy shit, did I hurt you? Are you alright?" He spoke so fast that she couldn't understand half of it while his hands grabbed her face to make sure she was alright from the impact caused by him.  
"I'm alright. Confused though. What on earth is going on?" She asked.  
"They called me yesterday. The audience loved us. We're getting a weekly show," he answered.  
"Oh my god, that's amazing. You deserve it," she said and hugged him.  
"So how does it feel to be sleeping with a celebrity all of the sudden?" He asked jokingly.  
"You tell me. You've been sleeping with a known author for a week now," she joked back.

He chuckled and started kissing her neck. He wrapped his arms under her and maneuvered them both out of bed.

"What are you doing?" She asked.  
"I told you once before I would never lay you down on the bed you share with him," he said and closed his lips over hers while carrying her towards the guest room.  
"Roman, please," she said and broke the kiss. "I look awful and I doubt I smell very good after a night's sleep."  
"Right. Shower it is then," he chuckled and carried her to the bathroom instead.

It didn't take him long to get them both out of their clothes. She did manage to push him away long enough to get a chance to brush her teeth and he ran the water meanwhile. The second she put her toothbrush down, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms.

"Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?" He asked between the kisses he left on her shoulders and neck.

The only sound he got in return was a small moan and he couldn't help but smile. He spun her around and gently pushed her up against the tiles. He held one arm around her waist while his other travelled down her spine, over her buttocks and in between her legs.

"Because you are," he said close to her ear as he pushed two fingers inside her. "You're so fucking beautiful that it hurts to look at you. I'll make sure to tell you everyday so you won't ever forget it."

Her moaning increased and he ran his tongue around the rim of her ear. He felt her squeeze his fingers more and more and he sped up, moving his fingers faster, holding on tighter around her waist.

"Just let go. I got you," he said.

He gently sank his teeth into her neck and she leaned her head back on his shoulder in a loud moan as she came.

"I always got you," he whispered and kissed her shoulder.

He pulled his fingers out and she turned around. Her nails lightly scraped down his chest but he caught both her wrists and stopped her.

"Not right now, sweetheart," he said with a smile.  
"But..." She tried.  
"But nothing," he said and kissed her nose. "Can I take you somewhere today? I'd like to show you something."  
"I guess, as long as it's not out in the public," she said.  
"It's not. So let's finish in here, get some breakfast inside you and go for a little road trip," he said.

45 minutes later he pulled up in front of a house.

"Who lives here?" She asked.  
"I do," he said and smiled. "I wanna show you my world."

They walked inside his house where workers were still running around to finish his bathroom and kitchen. By the looks of it, they were almost done and she couldn't help but feel a bit sad about it. She had hoped it would take longer than planned just so he would stay a little longer in her and Kevin's house. A selfish wish, she knew that, therefore she hadn't spoken it out loud.

He gave her the tour of his house and ended in the bedroom. He closed the door behind them and before she could even react, he wrapped his arms around her, pushed her up against the door and started kissing down her neck while he grabbed her ass.

"Roman, not now. You got the house full of workers," she giggled.  
"I can be quiet," he said as he started walking backwards with her in his arms.  
He let himself fall down on the bed and she landed on top of him.  
"But I can't," she laughed and kissed him quickly. "At least not when I'm with you."  
"I am just too good," he laughed.  
"Yes, you are. I'll give you that this once. Now gloat about it because it's not gonna happen again," she said.  
"You might not say it again but I'll always hear those words inside my head whenever I make you moan," he said and squeezed her ass.  
"Roman!" She whined and slapped his chest.  
"Alright, alright. You win. But just this once," he said and winked.

He rolled her down from him and sat up. She sat up as well and looked at him. He took her hand and laced their fingers together.

"I'm getting a cat," he suddenly said.  
"Really?" She asked.  
"Two actually. Already sorted it out with Seth. Tiger and Black Beauty will move in here when they're old enough," he said.

Her face lit up and he couldn't help but smile. He wanted her to always look this happy.

"I have to make sure you keep being around me," he chuckled.  
"So you decided to bring in the heavy guns with my two favourite kittens. That's blackmail," she said.  
"Whatever works," he said and kissed her hand.

He dropped their hands down in his lap, gently running his thumb over the back of her hand while he tried to find the right words to say. No matter how he turned it in his head, there really wasn't any easy way to say it so he decided just to be up front and get it out.

"Leave him," he said.  
"What?" She asked surprised.  
"Leave him. Get a divorce," he said.  
"And go where?" She asked.  
"Anywhere you like. My door is open for you or I'll help you find an apartment somewhere if that's what you want. Just leave him. I can't stand seeing him constantly hurt you," he said.  
"You don't understand. Have you met the lawyers working at his firm? They're a pack of bloodhounds. They'll rip me to shreds. It doesn't even matter if I don't want anything of his. He'll still drag my name through the mud. He'll go on trial and he'll make sure it's a public one so that everyone will know my darkest secrets," she said as her eyes filled with tears. "Sometimes I wish I had never started writing in the first place so my name wouldn't be known to anyone."

He put his arms around her, dragged her close and kissed the top of her head.

"I won't let anything happen to you, sweetheart. I'll protect you," he said.  
"You can't protect me from everything," she said annoyed and pushed herself out of his arms.

She got up and started walking towards the door.

"Please, don't leave," he said.  
She sighed and turned around to look at him.  
"I'm not mad at you, Roman. You're the only good thing in my life these days. I just... I just need to clear my mind for a bit. I'm gonna walk home. I'll see you at dinner," she said.

He watched her open the door and disappear out of it. He wanted to run after her, pull her close and make sure she never left his house again but he let her leave. He knew he had to. Instead he pulled out his phone to make a call.

"It's Roman Reigns. I was wondering if I can stop by and run something by you. A friend of mine needs help. You got an opening today? Yeah, in 30 minutes? Sure, I can make it. I'm on my way," he said.


	9. You will be mine

It had been sort of a strange week in Roman's eyes. It was clear to him that she had taken a mentally step back after he had asked her to leave Kevin. She didn't avoid him, far from. The sex was still just as great as the week before. It was everything else that was different. She avoided eye contact, she didn't talk as much, she didn't stay long in his arms and her smiles were further apart than before. She made excuses, saying she was just worried about Seth being done with the illustrations for the book in time, but he knew it wasn't the case.

He knew he had been in the wrong by asking her to leave Kevin but he refused to apologize for it or take it back. How could he when he meant every word? He wanted her gone from that man, he wanted her to be safe, he wanted her in his arms. And still he hadn't mentioned with a word about the meeting he had had Monday. He knew it would only push her further away if he told her beforehand and he wouldn't risk it. So he sucked it up and hurt inside without expressing it with a word while the days passed by, until Friday finally arrived.

He waited in the hallway for her to finish the shower Friday morning. She saw him right away, leaning up against the wall, watching her with sad eyes, when she stepped out of the bathroom.

"I was wondering if we could go for a ride?" He asked.  
"Where to?" She asked back.  
"I'd rather not say. Just trust me on this one," he answered.  
"Okay," she said and nodded.

She trusted him. She always had ever since they started fooling around Kevin's back. It wasn't trusting him that was the issue. It was everything he stood for, everything she wanted but didn't dare to go for, everything that scared her. Her life was far from perfect but at least she knew what she had. It was the unknown, as tempting as it might seem, that scared her.

"What are we doing here?" She asked in a shaky voice as she looked up at the sign on the building.

The sign stated it clearly. He had taken her to a lawyer and she started feeling uneasy.

"I called my lawyer Monday after you left my house and I went to see him to tell him about your situation," he said.  
"You had no right," she whispered so low that he barely heard her.  
"I'm not telling you to do anything you don't want to do. I just want you to know your options. One way or another, you're gonna leave here today with divorce papers in your hand. It's up to you if you wanna give them to Kevin or not. You know where I stand and I'm gonna be here for you no matter what you choose," he said.

She was so angry that she wanted to slap him but she felt something else next to the anger. Something she couldn't explain or put into words. Something that made her just nod in agreement, leave the car and walk into the building with him.

"I'm gonna be out here waiting for you," he said and planted himself in a seat in the waiting room.

She still hadn't said a word since they left the car. She just nodded and followed his lawyer into his office.

He had a hard time sitting still while waiting. He nervously tapped his foot on the floor constantly, probably driving the secretary insane with the constant noise, while his eyes roamed the room without really looking at anything. He quickly got up to his feet when the door finally opened and she stepped out of it. Still no words left her mouth and he followed her just as silent back to his car.

It wasn't until he finally parked in her driveway that he couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"Claire, sweetheart, talk to me," he pleaded.

She opened her bag and took out some papers.

"I made him make two copies just in case. Will you hold on to one of the copies for me?" She asked.  
"Of course," he answered, took the papers and put them inside the glove compartment.  
"This doesn't mean anything though. I don't know what I'm gonna do. I just feel like I should cover the basics," she said.

She left the car before he could say something back. He quickly got out of it too and followed her to the house. She unlocked the door and they both walked inside. She walked up the stairs and he followed her, not even sure why. He just didn't wanna leave her alone. Once they reached the top, he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"I hate this. I don't wanna go home today. I don't wanna leave you here," he said.  
"You have to," she hated being the voice of reason.  
He sighed behind her.  
"I better start packing," he said but he still didn't let go off her.

For a few seconds they just stood there in silence.

"We still have around five hours before he comes home," she broke the silence.  
"What are you getting at?" He asked as a little smile slowly crept up on his face.  
"I need you, Roman. Right now I just need to be with you. I want you so bad," she said.

He spun her around and looked down at her face. She seemed so fragile and lost and he felt his heart ache for her. Whatever she wanted, he would never deny her. She needed him and he sure was gonna be there. He lifted her up, put his lips on hers and walked them both into the guest room like that.

Five hours might be a long time but to him they would go by way too fast and he didn't wanna rush anything when he had no clue when he would be this close to her again. So he took his time undressing her, kissing her, touching her, pleasuring her until she could hardly moan anymore.

For the first time that week she wasn't in a hurry to get out afterwards. She allowed herself to be swallowed by his giant arms as he wrapped them around her and pulled her close to his chest. She felt so small and yet so safe as he held her close like he never wanted to let her go. She couldn't remember a time around Kevin where she had ever felt like that, not even in the beginning of their relationship where he treated her like a person worthy of his time.

"It's time," he said with a sigh.

She nodded and got out of bed reluctantly to get dressed.

"I know you can't come tonight but it's gonna be live on tv. You can watch me if you like. You'll be all I'll be thinking about inside that ring," he said as he took her hand.  
"Just win," she said and smiled at him.  
"For you? Always," he said.

She bowed down and gave him a kiss before walking out of the room and down the stairs to start making dinner before Kevin would come home. He watched her leave, refusing to take his eyes off her for one second.

"I'll win alright. I'll fight for you. I'll even fight dirty if I have to. I will fight, I will win, and I will get you. You will be mine one day, hopefully sooner than later," he said lowly to himself. "You will be mine."


	10. How this is gonna end

"Hey!" Kevin slammed his fist down on the kitchen table, making both Claire and Roman jump in surprise. "You listen when I talk!"

The scared look on her face didn't go unnoticed to Roman.

"I'm sorry, my mind was on the book," she lied.  
"I don't fucking care where it was. When I talk, you better fucking listen," Kevin sneered.  
"Come on, Kevin," Roman tried.  
"You stay out of this," Kevin sneered as his eyes went from Claire to Roman. "Don't you have a show to get to?"

Roman sighed and pushed his chair backwards. He knew he couldn't win this round. He had to leave. He was already running late but he had chosen to stay for as long as possible, not wanting to leave her.

"Yeah, I do," he answered while getting up. "Thank you so much for allowing me to stay here while my house got fixed."  
"Don't mention it. That's what friends are for," Kevin said.  
"Yeah... friends..." Roman muttered.  
"I'm coming by for the show," Kevin said.  
"Guess I'll see you there," Roman said.

He looked over Kevin's head to take one last look at Claire. She didn't even look up to meet his eyes and he felt his heart break. He kept his head up, not giving away his feelings as long as Kevin was there, as he made his way out of the kitchen.

Roman was running on anger that evening. He entered the ring and beat his opponent senseless. His mind was constantly on Claire while his eyes rested on her no good husband Kevin who was there in the audience with whoever the flavour of the week was next to him. It was far from the first time Roman watched Kevin pick up a woman in the audience and leave the show with her.

As expected Roman found her in the bar. He had gone straight from the show after showering and to the bar. Instead of crawling in the shadows and hiding at a table in the corner like he had always done, he went straight up to stand next to her.

"I thought I'd might find you here," he said.  
"Yeah, well, you know," she said and raised her glass.  
"A beer and one more of whatever she's having," he said to the bartender.

Once both items were placed in front of them, he grabbed them and nodded towards a free table.

"You coming?" He asked.

Without a word she got up and followed him.

"How did things go after I left?" He asked once they were seated.  
She gave him a look of confussion.  
"Don't play dumb with me. I've been around long enough to know Kevin didn't let that slide," he said.

She fiddled with the sleeve on the shirt, not wanting to say anything, but her behaviour gave her away. His face went hard as he grabbed her hand with one of his hands and yanked her sleeve up with the other hand before she could protest. The blue marks around her wrist gave away the entire story.

"It's nothing," she said as she tried to pull her hand free.

He refused to let go though.

"That is not nothing," he said as he held on tight to her hand, his eyes drilling into her. "Is there anything else?"  
"No..." She couldn't meet his eyes.  
"Damn it, Claire, don't lie to me!" He raised his voice.

She pulled her hand back with so much force that she managed to pull it out of his grip. Instead she hit the glass in front of her and the drink spilled all over the table. She jumped up to avoid getting the liquid on her clothes.

For two seconds she just looked at the table before finally meeting his eyes again.

"I can't do this," she said and walked out of the bar.

He got up and followed her without a word. It wasn't until she reached her car, he finally reacted. He spun her around and pulled her into a hug. He just wanted to hold her close but the hissing sound of pain she made as his hands reached her lower back immetiately made him let go. A look of guilt came over her face and she quickly opened the door to her car, hoping to slip inside before he would get a chance to react. She wasn't that lucky. He reached an arm across her chest to hold her back while his other hand lifted up her blouse to look at her back. The anger he had felt earlier came back within a second.

"Claire," he said.  
"Please," she whispered.  
"Claire," his voice got louder.  
"I can handle it," she pleaded.  
"No, you can't and this fucking proves it," he said through gritted teeth.

She looked down ashamed and he grabbed her face with both his hands, forcing her to look back up and into his eyes.

"Come with me right now. I'll keep you safe. He won't ever hurt you again. I promise," he said.  
"I can't," she said.

He leaned his forehead down on her forehead, still holding his hands on her face, closing his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again, looking at her, begging her to change that decision.

"Please, sweetheart," he whispered.  
"Roman..." She whispered back and placed her hands on his chest.  
"You don't even have to go home with me. I'll book a hotel room for you. Anything you want. Just don't go back home," he pleaded.  
"Stop it," she said as she pushed him away. "Please, just stop it. I can't do this with you. I'm married. I need to start respecting my marriage and so do you."  
"Why? He clearly doesn't," he said and crossed his arms.  
"Yes, he does. It's me. I'm the problem. I mess up all the time. I don't listen, I don't do what I'm supposed to, I'm not good enough," she said fast.  
"That's him talking, not you," he said.  
"Who cares who says it when it's true?" She asked.  
"But it's not," he said.

He ran his hand down his face in frustration before grabbing her face again with both hands and crashed his lips down on hers. She tried pushing him away again but he just wouldn't budge.

"It pisses me off that you don't see your own worth," he said as he finally pulled back a bit.  
"I need to go home," was all he got in return.

He held on to her face for a few more seconds, breathing heavily as he thought it through, then finally letting go off her. He didn't move though. He just kept standing close to her, looking at her.

"This isn't over. You might say that but we both know you don't mean that. No, it's not over. Far from. I'm gonna continue coming around and you can push me away all you want but you know how this is gonna end," he said.  
"How?" She hardly dared to ask but the word did leave her mouth.  
"With me. You're gonna end with me," he answered.

He took a step back, smirked and crossed his arms again, clearly challenging her with his eyes to even try to deny that statement. She didn't. She couldn't. She didn't say anything at all. Instead she got into the car.

"Hey," he said before she could close the door.  
She looked up at him.  
"You're beautiful," he said with a smile. "I once promised to tell you that everyday and I think I forgot this morning."

She nodded and closed the door. He stayed and watched her drive away, his heart aching to be with her, his mind convinced that every word he had just said was true. She would end up with him. There was no doubt about it.


	11. Word for word

Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday morning went by the same way. Each morning she got a text message from Roman. Nothing crazy, he wasn't starting any conversation with her at all. Just the same two words each morning: You're beautiful. She never replied to any of them and when she didn't receive a text Wednesday morning, she figured he had already gotten tired of it. It was bound to happen at some point. She had just thought he would last at least an entire week.

When the door bell rang later that day, she didn't think much of it. She wasn't expecting anyone though. The look on her face was pure surprise when she opened the door to find Roman there and he couldn't help but chuckle when he saw her.

"I take it Kevin didn't say I would be stopping by today," he said.  
"No," she said and shook her head.  
"He told me to just come over after I was done at the gym and hang out till he gets home tonight. I'm kinda glad he didn't tell you. You look so cute when you're surprised," he chuckled as he entered and closed the door. "So cute and beautiful."

He quickly closed the gab between them and reached his arms around her.

"Come here," he said softly as he pulled her close.

He held her close, kissed the top of her head, took in the scent of her hair.

"I've missed you, sweetheart," he said as he slowly started moving.

Her legs started moving too, completely betraying her mind that tried to make her stop.

"Roman, we can't," she said.  
"Can't what?" He said as he gently pushed her up against the wall and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

Her breathing got heavy as he started kissing, licking and biting and she couldn't hold back those small moans that came over her lips. She mentally cursed herself for responding to his touch so easy.

"Roman," she tried once again but her voice wasn't convincing at all.

He chuckled against her neck.

"Uh-uh sweetheart, if you want me to stop, you're gonna have to say it word for word or push me away. You can't just whisper my name and expect me to read your mind," he said and kissed her neck again.  
"Roman, please," she said.  
"Please what? Sounds more to me like you want me to continue," he said as he started to drag her dress up to her hips.  
"I... I..." She tried but she couldn't get anything else over her lips.

He placed his hand outside her panties and she sucked in her breath loudly.

"Last chance," he said lowly as he pulled his head out to look at her. "You want me to stop?"  
She bit her lip and shook her head.  
"I didn't think so," he said and smirked.

It all went so fast from there. Her panties landed on the floor and she gasped as two of his fingers entered her. The feeling of how wet she already was had him grinning right away. He licked his lips as he pushed his fingers into her a couple of times before pulling them out and opening his pants. He pushed his pants and boxers down to his knees, grabbed under her, lifted her up against the wall and pushed himself inside her.

It felt so good being inside her again. He moved one of his hands from under her to support himself by placing it on the wall while he leaned in to kiss her. He constantly pushed into her as hard as he could in the position. Hearing her moan and feeling her squeeze him made him feel like he was in heaven.

She couldn't remember ever having this passionate sex with Kevin. He most certainly had never taken her up against a wall or any other surface for that matter. The bed or the couch had always been the only two places he would wanna be and she had never dared speaking up about it. With Roman she didn't even have to speak up. It was like he knew what she wanted and needed before she even thought about it herself and he brought her more pleasure than she had ever experienced before.

She dug her nails into his shoulders and leaned her head back against the wall as she cried out in ecstasy. He kept thrusting into her, enjoying the view of her cumming right in front of him, trying to drag it out for as long as possible. She leaned forward again, burying her head into his hair as she wrapped her arms around him. He thrust into her one last time as he came.

"I missed you too," she mumbled into his hair.  
"What was that?" He asked and pulled her head out to look at her.  
"Nothing," she answered.  
"No, I'm pretty sure I heard you say you missed me," he said and smiled.  
"No, I didn't," she lied.  
"Yes, you did," he said and kissed her nose.  
"Can you put me down? I need to get started on dinner," she tried changing the conversation.  
"Sure. As soon as you admit to what you just said," he said and grinned. "Otherwise I'm gonna stay inside you till I'm ready again and give you round 2, 3 and even 4 until you finally break."  
"Smart ass!" She giggled and hit his chest. "Fine, I missed you. But just a tiny bit."  
"I'll take it," he said and put her down.

They both fixed their clothes and he pulled her in for a kiss. She didn't fight him or try to move away. She just wrapped her arms around him and welcomed his kiss and he couldn't help but squeeze her a little extra tight.

"Dinner," she finally said as she broke the kiss and moved out of his arms.  
"I can help," he said and followed her out in the kitchen.  
"Really? You wanna help me cook?" She asked surprised.  
"Sure, why not?" He said.  
"Because it's a woman's place to be in the kitchen," she said.  
"According to who?" He asked.  
The look on her face said it all.  
"Screw that. Forget I asked. He really is an asshole in every aspect of life, huh? I can cook, you know. And I enjoy to cook. So I demand you let me help you," he said and winked before pulling her in for one more kiss.

The moment they heard the front door open an hour later, he quickly sat down at the table with a beer, pretending he had absolutely nothing to do with preparing dinner. He quickly winked at her one last time before Kevin appeared in the kitchen.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked Roman.  
"Just keeping an eye on your wife, making sure she doesn't try and poison us," Roman answered jokingly.  
"I wouldn't put it past her," Kevin said as he went to the fridge to grab a beer on his own and then sat down at the table as well. "She didn't give you any trouble at all? Talk your ears off or any other annoying shit like that?"

It took everything inside Roman to keep his composure and sit still. He wanted nothing more than to jump over the table and hit Kevin. He hated hearing him talk about her like she wasn't even in the room. Instead he swallowed his pride and put on a fake smile.

"No trouble at all. She doesn't even acknowledge that I'm here," he said.  
"So she's being a bitch as always. So much for me trying to educate her over the years," Kevin laughed.

Yes, Roman definately wanted to hit Kevin right in that moment.


	12. Secret code word

She took a deep breath as she stepped out of the car. Kevin cleared his throat, clearly trying to step into the character of her loving husband, as he exited the car as well. It was Saturday, her book was scheduled to come out this Monday, and as always her publisher threw a little party beforehand. Kevin would always escort her to these parties and play pretend that they were a loving couple. Somehow she hated this fake side of him even more than his real side.

She felt her heart jump up into her throat as she stepped into the room and met Roman's eyes right away. What on earth was he doing there? And then it hit her. Of course. Seth was the sketch artist on the book and like everyone else involved in the book one way or another, he was allowed to invite whoever he wanted to the party. She shouldn't have been surprised that he had invited both Roman and Dean to come along.

Kevin lit up in a smile as he went straight over to her publisher and started chatting her up. She knew he would. He always did that even though she was there. She didn't mind though. It gave her freedom to roam the party without him constantly being on her case.

She made her way over to the table and poured a vodka with pineapple juice.

"How's it going, gorgeous?" She jumped by the sound of Dean's voice behind her.  
"Jesus, do you always creep up on people like that?" She asked as she turned to face him. "Or did Roman get you to do it? He always does that too, you know."  
"I know," he chuckled.

He reached for a beer and opened it before looking over at Kevin.

"He's an asshole for doing that in front of you," he said.  
"I don't mind. He does that everytime. It's actually rather fun to watch. I still haven't told him Zahara is gay," she said and twisted a little smile.  
"Well, look at you," he said and grinned. "You do have an evil side to you after all."  
"Stay around and you might see more tricks," she joked.  
"Oh, I'm planning to since Roman is like my brother. The question is whether or not you're gonna allow us to stay around?" He said as he stared at her intensely.

She quickly put the glass to her lips to avoid answering. She emptied it slowly, hoping he might forget his question if she let time pass like that. He just kept staring at her. Once her drink was empty, she quickly poured a new one.

"I better go mingle. After all, this party is for me," she excused herself and turned away from him.

He gently grabbed her arm, the one closest to the table, away from most people's eyes.

"Well, are you?" He repeated his question in a low tone.  
"I don't know," she answered and started walking away.

Dean opened two more beers and made his way back to Seth and Roman and handed them one each.

"Well?" Roman asked.  
"Zahara is gay so I can't tap that," Dean answered with a grin.  
"Dean!" Roman frowned.  
"What? I find that to be very important to know," Dean said and stuck out his tongue. "Ask for your woman there, I don't know where you stand. I can't figure her out. I'm not even sure she can figure herself out."

Roman sighed as his eyes found her again.

"Don't give up, big man," Seth said and patted his shoulder.  
"I wasn't planning to," Roman said.  
"We all see how she constantly looks at you. I'm pretty sure she feels the same but she's just too afraid to go through with it," Dean said.  
"Can you blame her? Look at the bastard she's married to. He's not just gonna let her go without a fight," Seth said.  
"I'll fight him," Roman said.  
"Wow, slow down, big man. Not here, not now. You're gonna lose her completely if you pull something like that now," Seth said.  
"I know that, Seth. I'm not stupid. But I am angry and you know how dangerous I can be once the anger takes over. She just has to say the word and he'll experience it first hand," Roman said.

Roman stood back, watching her, waiting for the right time, as the evening slowly progressed. She walked around and talked with people, a drink constantly in her hand, but she didn't seem happy at all. Her eyes would constantly roam in his direction and even though she would look down and try to hide it, he caught her everytime she did so.

It wasn't until she disappeared out of the room to use the bathroom, he decided to make a move.

"Dean," he said lowly and nodded towards the door.  
"I got you," Dean said and followed Roman there.

Roman walked out in the little hallway and walked through it until he reached the bathroom. He leaned his back up against the wall and just waited for her to be done in there and come out. Her eyes widened in surprise as she finally came out and saw him there.

"Roman?" She asked.

He pushed himself off the wall with a smile and walked over to her. He placed his hands on her hips and gently pushed her up against the now closed bathroom door she had just come out of.

"Not here," she whispered.  
"Ssh, don't worry, sweetheart. Dean's standing guard in the doorway and he'll yell down the secret code word if we get in trouble," he chuckled as he leaned in to capture her lips in a kiss.  
"Secret code word?" She giggled as he started kissing down her jaw towards her neck.  
"Yeah, well, he'll yell something. Knowing Dean it probably will make absolutely no sense," he said.

He ran his tongue over her neck before leaning back out to look at her.

"You always taste so good," he said in a dreamy voice as his eyes started filling with lust. "I wish I could really taste you right now."  
"Roman!" She said shocked.  
"What? Just being honest," he laughed and licked his lips. "But jokes aside, you really look beautiful tonight. That dress is killer on you."  
"Thank you," she said and blushed.  
"You're so cute when you blush," he said.

He leaned in to kiss her again and for a little while they just stood there, lost in the moment and the kiss between them, until he finally broke the kiss. He kept holding on to her hips and pulled her close.

"Can I stop by next week?" He asked.  
"Which day?" She asked back.  
"Everyday," he answered.  
"Be serious," she said.  
"I am serious. Can I stop by next week?" He asked again.

She didn't answer but he could see she was thinking hard about it. He placed his fingers under her chin to lift her head up to meet his eyes again. He bowed his head down and gave her a quick kiss.

"I'm stopping by next week," he stated. "Monday morning at 9? Will that work for you?"  
"I guess," she said.  
"Good," he said.

"The cockroach is crawling!" Dean's voice yelled down the hall.  
They both turned their heads in the direction of his voice.  
"Seriously guys, he's on his way," Dean said.

Roman gave her a quick peck before letting go off her hips.

"Go," he said.

She started walking away but jumped as he smacked her ass. She looked over her shoulder to see him standing there with a smirk.

"See you Monday," he said and then he disappeared into the bathroom.


	13. I love you

Time flies when you're having a good time and Claire had to admit she had been having a real good time the entire week. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday had gone by way too fast. Roman had stayed true to his word and come by everyday and she had never felt so much joy and pleasure in such short period of time before.

Even though cruel reality was always lurking around the corner, she could and would play pretend for the few hours she had him each day. Pretend to be happy, pretend to live a normal life, pretend to be safe, pretend to be loved.

But now it was Friday, she was lying in his arms on the couch since they never made it upstairs, and she knew he would be leaving soon again. She would be alone for hours, then Kevin would come home and screw up her mind again, then he would leave to go watch the show, go watch Roman like she wanted to, while she would be stuck at home watching him on tv. And then she would go drinking at a bar, hoping this might be one of the nights he would come seek her out. She let out a little giggle when she thought back to how that used to scare her, knowing he was there in a dark corner, just watching her. Now she wanted it to happen.

"What's so funny?" He asked.  
"Just thinking about how much things have changed between us," she answered.  
"Yeah?" He wanted her to go on.  
"You used to scare me and draw me in at the same time," she said.  
"And now?" He asked.  
"You don't scare me anymore," she answered.  
"But I still draw you in?" He asked while he squeezed her a little tighter to make his point clear.  
"Mmm, I feel good when I'm with you," she said and closed her eyes.  
"Better get used to it because I'm not letting you go," he said and moved in close to her ear. "I love you."

Silence. Her eyes flew open in shock but she was complete silent. She didn't even look at him. She just stared up in the ceiling in disbelief, not wanting to believe he had just said those words.

"Do I scare you by saying that?" He asked softly.  
"Yeah... you can't... we can't... it's not..." She wasn't making any sense at all.  
"But I do. I love you," he said again.  
"No, you don't. I forbid you," she said.  
"Forbid me?" He asked with a small laugh.

She pushed her way out of his arms. He didn't try to stop her. He just sat up, put his arms on his legs, sighed and watched her get back into her clothes way too fast. Once she was fully dressed, he reached out to grab her hand and spun her around so she was forced to look at him. He got up to his feet as well and reached for her other hand so he held them both.

"You can't forbid me to love you. I can't control it and neither can you. But it's the truth. I love you," he said.  
"No!" She snapped.  
"Sweetheart," he said and reached up to touch her cheek.  
She took a quick step backwards.  
"I think it's best if you leave," she said and crossed her arms.  
He sighed and dropped his shoulders.  
"If you say so. Let me just use the bathroom and I'll get out of here," he said.

He picked up his boxers from the floor and walked upstairs to use the bathroom. The moment she heard the door close, she pulled out his phone from his jeans on the floor. She knew she shouldn't. She had absolutely no right but she needed to talk to him. She found his number, put it into her own phone and put his phone back where she found it.

He came back down shortly after and put on the rest of his clothes. There was an awkward silence between them and she flat out refused to look at him. Once he was fully dressed, he walked over and put his arms around her.

"Claire," he said softly.  
"No," she said.  
"At least look at me. I don't want you to be mad at me," he said.  
"I'm not mad. I'm shocked that you would even go that far. It must be some sort of cruel joke," she said.  
"It's not a joke," he said as he grabbed her head and forced her to look at him. "I don't care what you say but I love you. I... love... you!"

He dragged out the last three words and ended his statement by kissing her. He kept his eyes closed as he pulled back a bit.

"And I'll wait for you and fight for you. Whenever you're ready, sweetheart, I'll be here," he said.

He let go off her and walked out of the house without another word. So many things she wanted to say, to scream after him, but she couldn't. She just stood frozen and watched him leave, hearing his footsteps out in the hallway and then the sound of the front door opening and closing. Once he was gone she inhaled quickly a few times and then pulled out her phone to make a call.

"Hello?" His raspy voice sounded.  
"Hi, it's Claire," she said.  
"Hey gorgeous. What's up?" He asked.  
"Can we meet? I need to talk to you," she said.  
"Sure. When?" He asked.  
"Right now?" She asked back.

"Hi Dean," she said as she walked up to him.

They were meeting in an almost empty park where he was already sitting on a bench waiting for her.

"So what's this about, gorgeous? Not that I don't like secret meetings with you. It almost makes me feel like we're the ones fooling around although Roman gets all the good action," he joked.  
"That's what I wanna talk about. Roman, I mean," she said.  
"I figured," he said.

She sat down on the bench next to him with a sigh and kicked a small rock in front of her.

"He told me he loved me," she said.  
"About time. He's been telling me that for a while now," he said.  
"He can't. That wasn't supposed to happen," she said.  
"Do you love him?" He asked.  
"My feelings don't matter," she answered.  
"When are you gonna let your own voice be heard instead of always repeating Kevin's words?" He asked.

She couldn't find the answer to that. She just stared at her feet and then she suddenly felt his arm around her shoulders as he gently pulled her in to rest up against him. His other hand went to her chin to lift up her head a bit so he could look at her.

"Does he have something on you since you're so terrified of leaving him?" He asked.  
"No, it's nothing like that. My life has been quite boring," she answered.  
"Then what is it?" He asked.  
"He doesn't like to lose no matter what it's about. Signing divorce papers will mean he lost. He'll drag my name through the mud with lies and he'll take down every man that has ever crossed my path, spin up lies about affairs with them, before he'll ever allow me to get away," she said.  
"Roman can handle it," he said.

She pushed herself away from him with a sound of annoyance.

"You don't get it. It's not just him. It's everyone. It's you, it's Seth, everyone. You guys finally got your names out there with the tv show and he'll drag you all down," she said.  
"But none of it is true," he said.  
"It doesn't matter. People will always remember hearing about it. How's it gonna look if everyone thinks you three shared me?" She said.  
"From my point of view it looks pretty good since you're mighty fine to look at," he chuckled.  
"Now is not the time for jokes!" She hissed.  
"I'm sorry," he laughed.

For a moment nothing was heard but his laughter until he finally got himself under control again. He grabbed her hand and gently patted it.

"Is that all? Stupid rumours and lies but nothing else?" He asked.  
"That's more than enough. I can't handle it," she said.  
"But we can. We will just laugh it off and you should too," he said.  
"It's easy for you. You're men. No one cares. I'll be a whore in everyone's eyes," she said.  
"Not to us. Not to Roman. In the end, isn't that the only thing that matters? Him and you?" He asked.

She shook her head, once again lost for words.

"Are you still scared?" He asked.  
"Yes! I'm fucking terrified. I don't know what's out there if I leave Kevin," she started crying.  
"But don't you wanna find out?" He asked and patted her back.  
"Maybe," she answered.  
"Two weeks ago it was a no so we're moving up. We'll have that maybe turned into a yes in no time," he said.  
"If only I could make him sign the papers without getting his lawyers involved. Then it would be nothing but empty words from a man afterwards. No lawyers, no threats, no trial. People won't believe him so easy if it happens that way," she said lowly.  
"Okay, maybe just turned into a yes," he said.  
She snapped her head up to look at him.  
"Don't deny it, gorgeous," he said with a smile.

She didn't deny it. She just got up to her feet and was ready to leave again.

"Tell Roman... shit... tell him he can't love me," she said and started walking away.  
"Tell him yourself! Or better yet, tell him you love him too!" He yelled after her.


	14. That's my man

She hadn't stayed home that Friday evening to watch the show. The second Kevin had gone to see it live, she too had left the house and gone to one of the bars she usually hung out in. The bar had a tv and by the help of flashing a smile and pulling down her shirt a bit, the bartender had agreed to turn on the channel so she could watch the show there.

She was already drunk once the main event rolled around and Roman appeared on the screen.

"That's my man," she said and pointed to the tv.  
"Sure it is," the bartender chuckled.  
"No, really, that's my man. Or at least it should be," she said and emptied her drink. "One more, please."  
"You fangirls can be quite the handful," he was still chuckling as he refilled her glass.  
"I'm not a fangirl," she said.  
He just laughed and shook his head.  
"Whatever," she said angrily.

30 minutes and two more drinks later and she felt a hand land on her back. She turned her head to see Roman standing there with a concerned look on his face. Clearly he wasn't too happy to see her in that drunken state but she failed to catch on.

"Roman!" She shrieked before turning to the bartender. "See! He's my man. Tell him you're my man, Roman."  
"Let's get you out of here," he said softly.  
"Why won't you say it?" She asked as she allowed him to help her down from the bar stool.  
"You know why," he said in a sad tone. "One day I will when you're ready to actually let me say it."

With an arm around her shoulders and the other hand holding on to her arm closest to him, he escorted her outside.

"My car's over there," she said and tried to walk in the direction.  
"You're not driving home like that, sweetheart. You can pick up your car tomorrow. I'm taking you home," he said.

He walked her to his car and gently leaned her back up against it as he opened the door to the passenger seat.

"What's it gonna be like?" She asked.  
"What's what gonna be like?" He asked.  
"If I go with you. If I leave him. What's it gonna be like?" She asked.

He stepped close to her and wrapped his arms around her lower back.

"It's gonna be good. I promise I'll keep you safe and make sure you feel loved everyday. We're gonna be that disgustingly happy couple our friends envy and love to hate," he said with a little giggle.

He leaned down and kissed her.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured against her lips before pulling back again. "Let's get you home."

With one hand still around her lower back, he helped her into the passenger seat.

"I do, you know," she said as he put the seatbelt on her.  
"Do what?" He asked and looked at her.  
"Love you," she answered.  
He sighed but kept his eyes on her.  
"Tell me that when you're sober and I'll be the happiest man alive," he said.

He closed the door and walked around to get into the driver's seat. He took one last look at her but her head was turned as she was looking out of the window. He turned his focus to the road in front of him as he started the car to drive her home.

He stopped in front of the house and they both noticed it right away. Kevin's car in the driveway and the lights being on inside the house.

"What is he doing home already?" She asked, almost whispering.

He had a bad feeling in his gut all of the sudden and he reached over to take her hand and lace her fingers with his. She turned her head to look at him and she could clearly see he was worried.

"You want me to go in there with you?" He asked.  
"No, it'll be fine. I'll tell him I took a cab home," she answered.  
"I don't like this," he muttered as he looked back at the house.  
"Stop worrying. It's just Kevin. I know how he works," she said.  
"That's what I'm worried about. I know how he works too," he said and once again looked at her, the look in his eyes a bit harder than he meant to.  
"It's fine," she said and reached her free hand up to touch his cheek. "I'm fine, you're fine, we're all fine. Go home."

She let go off his hand, opened the door and stepped out of the car.

"Claire," he said before she could close the door.

She leaned down a bit and looked at him.

"If anything happens, anything at all, you call me right away and I'll be here in no time," he said.  
"Sure thing. Goodnight Roman," she said and closed the door.

He watched her walk to the front door and disappear inside. With a sigh and a heavy feeling he started driving away. He didn't want to but he couldn't stay there. He drove slow, hoping she would come running back out, but of course she didn't. He knew she wouldn't.

Kevin came walking down the stairs as he heard the front door close behind her. There was a look in his eyes of pure anger and she wondered what she had done wrong this time to set him off like that.

"What is this?" He asked and held up his hand.

Her eyes went to the papers in his hand. The divorce papers. He must have found them in the drawer where she had hid them under some of her clothes. She suddenly felt sober right away.

"Shit," she whispered.  
"Shit indeed. You think you can leave me?" He asked as he quickly walked over to her.  
"No, I was just weighing my options," she tried.

His hand went around her throat as he backed her up against the wall. She hit it with force and the back of her head slammed against it.

"Kevin, please," she said as the tears started forming in her eyes.  
"You're going nowhere! You hear me? Nowhere!" He shouted.

He let go off her throat and tore the papers to shreds in front of her. He dropped the pieces on the floor, grabbed her hair and yanked her away from the wall and towards the stairs.

"I think you need to learn your place," he said in a cold tone.


	15. Help me

She sounded like shit when she talked after all the crying and screaming, she felt like shit both inside and outside, and she was pretty sure she looked like shit too. She hadn't looked in a mirror to be sure but she knew she looked like she felt.

Almost 24 hours had passed. He hadn't allowed her to sleep yet. She had never experienced torment and punishment like this from him before. He was shouting, yelling, screaming, hitting, kicking, mentally and physical breaking her down for each hour that passed.

He had taken her phone away. Not far though. It was right there on the dresser in the bedroom, within reach but still unreachable. He had done it on purpose to mock her. He had kept her in there for almost 24 hours, not allowing her any sleep or rest, just constantly punishing her for wanting to leave him. Her only breaks out of the bedroom was when she needed to go to the bathroom and not even in there would he allow her to be alone. He was always there, watching, waiting, tormenting her.

"So I'm gonna ask you again. Who has planted the idea in your brain to leave me?" His voice was so cold.  
"Kevin, look at what you're doing to me right now. It's sick. You're sick. You need help," she said.  
"You never once led on you were unhappy. Someone gave you the idea and I wanna know who," he said.  
"I never said anything because you fucking scare me but the idea was always there," she said as she started crying again.

She hated that she couldn't keep the tears away. She didn't wanna look this weak in front of him but he had broken her down. Not just over the past 24 hours but for their entire marriage. She couldn't take anymore.

"Shut up!" He sneered.

He walked over to the bed where she was sitting and pushed her down on her back. He straddled her as he pinned her wrists down.

"I said shut up!" He yelled.

He lifted one hand to slap her again and she turned her head to the side, more tears spilling from the pain.

She felt relief when his phone started ringing from his back pocket. She didn't care who it was as long as he would answer it and just give her one minute of peace to gather herself. He moved away from her to stand on the floor and answer it. She curled up on her side and closed her eyes.

"Hello? Oh, hi. No no, it's not a bad time at all. What's on your mind? Sure. Let me just find it. I think it's in my office," he said.

She could only hear his side of the conversation but she could hear it was business related so she just stayed quiet and kept her eyes closed.

He kept silent for two seconds as he stared at her. She looked like she had fallen asleep and he couldn't hold it against her after having kept her up by force for 24 hours. He decided to let her sleep while he was on the phone, walked out of the bedroom and into the office.

The second she heard the door to the office close, she was out of bed. If it was the phone call or the fact that he too had been up for 24 hours that had made him forget to bring her phone with him, she didn't know, and she didn't care. The only thing she cared about was that it was still there on the dresser.

"Lighten up. It's a party," Dean said as he handed Roman a beer.  
"Sorry man," Roman said.  
"What's up?" Dean asked as he sat down next to Roman.  
"I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong," Roman answered.  
"Is it still about Claire and what happened last night?" Dean asked.

Roman nodded and put the beer on the table next to him. He wasn't in the mood to drink or party at all. He had only come because his friends had asked him to and because he was trying to keep his dark thoughts at bay. So far it wasn't doing him any good.

"She'll come around," Dean said.  
"I hope you're right," Roman said.

At the same time Roman's phone started ringing on the table. He looked at it and his eyes widened when he saw her name on the display. He almost knocked over the beer when he reached for it fast to answer.

"Claire?" He asked.

He could hear her voice but he couldn't make out anything. The music was too loud and she was talking too fast.

"Slow down, sweetheart. I can't hear you," he said as he stood up.

Dean jumped to his feet and snapped his fingers at Seth who was sitting closest to the CD player. He pointed to Roman and the look in his eyes must have said it all because Seth turned the volume down fast without any question.

"He's crazy," her voice was low since she was afraid Kevin might hear her if she spoke up.  
"What did he do?" He asked.  
"He won't leave me be. He's crazy. He found the papers and destroyed them. He won't let me leave," she was talking so fast.  
"Claire, what the fuck is going on over there?" He asked as he started walking towards the front door.

She looked up scared as she heard the door to the office being opened again.

"Help me," she quickly said.  
"I'm on my way!" He shouted but she had already hung up.

He started running out to his car and it wasn't until he reached it, he realized all his friends had run outside with him too, spreading out to his car and the other two cars that were parked there.

"What?" Dean asked as he opened the door to the passenger side. "You didn't really think we were gonna let you go through this alone, did you?"  
"Thank you," Roman said as he jumped into the driver's seat.

He started the car and pulled out on the street with the other two cars following him.

"The glove compartment. There's some papers in there. Take them," he said as he pointed.

Dean opened the glove compartment and took out the papers, quickly scanning them over, a smile appearing on his face.

"Divorce papers?" He asked.  
"Yeah," Roman said.

She had every attention of hiding the phone before Kevin got back into the bedroom but she wasn't fast enough. His eyes were cold and full of hate and anger as he saw her sitting there with it in her hand.

"Who do you think you're gonna call?" He asked.  
"No one," she answered.  
"That's right. No one. You got no one in your life but me. I am your husband and your master. You're nothing but my pathetic, little slave. No one else would ever want you," he said as he snapped the phone from her hand and put it back on the dresser.

He walked back to her, grabbed her chin and stared her down.

"You belong to me! You got that?" He sneered.

It didn't take long before they suddenly heard squealing tires outside followed by car doors slamming.

"Claire!" Roman's voice reached them from the outside.

Shortly after someone started banging on the front door. Kevin let go off her and took a step backwards while his eyes were aimed in the direction of the bedroom door as he wondered what on earth was going on.

"What did you do to piss him off?" He asked.

She didn't think about giving him an answer. Instead she used the little distraction she had while he was looking away from her.

She jumped to her feet, ran past him as fast as she could and down the stairs. He followed right after, not wanting her to reach the door and let anyone in. Her fingers reached the lock and just as she turned it, Kevin's hand went into her hair and yanked her backwards. She let out a scream of pain.

"What do you think you're doing?" He sneered down in her face.  
Before he knew what was happening, she was pulled away from him and he suddenly stood nose to nose with Roman.  
"No, what do you think you're doing?" Roman asked.

Kevin quickly took a step backwards to see Roman hold an arm backwards to keep Claire behind him. He didn't get a chance to question any of it since Roman followed suit and took a step forward and was right up in his face again.

"Claire, sweetheart, go pack your things," Roman said.

As comforting and calm as he tried to sound, he couldn't hide the anger in his voice. He just hoped she wouldn't be scared of it and back out now that she had finally reached out to him.

"Now!" He raised his voice when she didn't move. "Seth will help you."

Seth quickly walked over and took her hand.

"Come on," he said and started leading her to the stairs.

Halfway up the stairs she stopped and turned around to look down at the men that were still standing there. No one had said a word. They were all just watching her go upstairs, waiting for her to be out of sight.

"Go on, sweetheart. I'm just gonna have a talk with him," Roman said.  
"Come on, baby," Seth said in a low tone as he gently tugged on her hand.

She turned her back to everyone downstairs and continued up. They had hardly made it into the bedroom when she heard Kevin start screaming. She turned to run back out to see what was going on but Seth wrapped an arm around her waist and held her back while he closed the door with his free hand.

"No need to worry your pretty head with that. They're just talking," he said.  
"They're not just talking and you bloody well know it," she said.  
"No, I don't and neither do you. We're up here. We didn't see anything," he said as he let go off her. "Now, let's get your stuff."

She packed as quickly as she could but it was hard to concentrate on getting her hands to move correctly when she could constantly hear something going on downstairs and on top of that she had been up for over 24 hours and she was worn out.

"Uuuuh!" She shouted and threw a pair of pants on the floor when she couldn't get them into the bag.  
"Hey, relax," Seth said as he took her hands and calmly looked her in the eyes. "Just throw all your clothes on the bed and I'll pack it. Alright? Can you do that?"

One of his hands went up to stroke her hair as he continued to keep her eyes captured with his to show her everything was gonna be fine.

"Yeah... yeah, I can do that," she said and nodded.  
"Good. We're gonna have you out of here in no time and you're not going back. He'll never hurt you again. Roman's gonna make sure of that. We're all gonna make sure of that," he said.

Again she nodded before walking back to the closet to get her clothes out and throwing it on the bed.

"Besides, Tiger and Black Beauty need their mom. Roman might be a gentle giant but they want you," he giggled lightheartedly.  
"Well, I can't let my babies down," she said lowly and gave him a tired smile.

Once they were done packing and moved back to the stairs to go back down, she looked at the scene from the top of the stairs. Kevin was sitting up against the wall with blood running down his face while Roman stood in front of him and looked down on him.

"I'll call the police," Kevin tried.  
"And tell them what? Seven guys here all saw you take a nasty fall down the stairs. You've always been kinda clumsy," Roman said.  
"Nasty fall," Dean repeated.

Roman turned his head and saw her standing there. Next to her Seth stood with a couple of bags in his hands. Roman gave her a warm smile before turning his head to Dean and holding out his hand. Dean handed him the papers along with a pen he had in his pocket.

Roman crouched down in front of Kevin and put the papers and the pen in his lap.

"Sign the papers, Kevin," he said.  
"No," Kevin said stubbornly.

Roman placed a hand on Kevin's shoulder and squeezed hard, making Kevin whimper in pain.

"Sign the god damn papers before you take a real fall down the stairs," Roman threathened.  
"Okay, okay," Kevin whimpered.

He lifted up the pen and looked down at the papers. She stood still on the stairs, holding her breath, not daring to believe for one second he would actually do it. She felt a hand on her shoulder and knew it was Seth who tried to keep her calm. She felt like she could have passed out of joy the second she saw Kevin's hand sign the papers.

"Oh my god," she whispered.  
Seth leaned in close to her ear.  
"You're free," he whispered and kissed her cheek.

With the signed papers secure in his hand, Roman stood up again and walked over to the stairs. He took a couple of steps up and held his free hand out to her. She started walking down until she reached him and took his hand. Without another word from anybody, they all walked out of the house.

Roman didn't even have to ask Seth and Dean to get into the other two cars instead of his. They just went there on their own, giving their silent approval as they watched Roman load her bags, help her into his car and drive off.

He pulled up in his driveway and turned off the engine. He reached over to grab her hand and brought it to his lips.

"Are you alright?" He asked.  
"Yeah. Tired but alright," she answered.  
"I'm gonna lay you down in my bed... scratch that... our bed and I'm gonna hold you all night until you finally wake up," he said and smiled.  
"And then?" She asked.  
"And then we're gonna have breakfast," he said and let out a little laugh.

She nodded and smiled back at him before they both exited the car. He grabbed her bags and they walked together to the front door. He unlocked it but before he opened it, he turned to look at her.

"You don't have to be scared anymore," he said.  
"I'll leave my fears at the door," she said.  
"First thing Monday morning I'll get a key made for you," he said and opened the door.

They walked inside and he dropped her bags on the floor right away. She could always unpack tomorrow. Right now he just needed to feel her close to him. He wrapped his arms around her, lifted her up and carried her inside the bedroom. He gently laid her down on the bed and quickly got her out of the shoes and most of her clothes. He stripped down himself and laid down next to her. Once again his arms went around her and he pulled her close and kissed her.

"My beautiful woman," he said lowly as he ran his fingers down her back. "Took you long enough to get here."  
"But I'm here now," she said as she started relaxing with her head on his chest.  
"And here you'll stay. I won't let you go again. I'll never let you go," he said and kissed the top of her head.

She lifted up her head to look at him.

"Roman?" She asked.  
"Mmm," he answered with his eyes closed.  
"I love you," she said.

He immetiately opened his eyes and flashed her a big smile. He dragged her further up so he could kiss her.

"I love you too, and..." He said and kissed her again. "...I'm your man."


End file.
